MORE THAN JUST THE MUSIC: THE DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE SWINGIN' UTTERS
By Jake Corbin

Every kid that picks up the guitar, smacks a snare drum or thumps their first bass line fantasizes about playing on stage to the cheers of adoring fans. Stumbling through a three-chord Ramones riff in your bedroom is fun, but not quite the same as jumping in a van, hitting the road and cranking it up to 11 night after night.

But what the next Joe Strummers of the world are not aware of is the monotony of the touring musician. Playing the same set list day in and day out gets boring; especially when your mind is bursting with new song ideas, some of which don’t quite capture the sound your band is looking for.

Just ask the members of the Swingin’ Utters.

The San Francisco punkers – who have been a driving force in the Bay Area scene for 20 years now – have eight bands between the group’s five members, each distinctly different from the other.

Of all the bands, the Filthy Thieving Bastards are the biggest departure in sound from the Utters’ brand of punk rock. Heavily influenced by both folk and country music, the group was created out of necessity for guitarist/vocalist Darius Koski to unleash the material he had building up.

“I had a lot of acoustic stuff, more countryish kind of stuff, that I put on Swingin’ Utters records here and there,” said Koski. “But it got kind of frustrating, because I had so much stuff.  So I talked to Johnny [“Peebucks” Bonnel, lead singer] about it and said, ‘we should start another band.’”

Bonnel jumped onboard as lead vocalist for the Filthy Thieving Bastards, adding his familiar rough-around-the-edges rasp to the new band’s lighter sound. The group has since released three full-length albums, including their most recent “I’m a Son of a Gun,” on BYO Records.

While side projects like this are great for allowing creativity to grow, expressing different musical interests isn’t the only reason record collectors have been blessed with a plethora of Swingin’ Utters-spawned bands; changes in the band members’ personal lives has been a major contributor as well.

With each passing year, “there’s the creeping dread of responsibility,” said Spike Slawson, bassist for both the Swingin’ Utters and the Filthy Thieving Bastards. Slawson, who was married a year-and-a-half ago, is starting to feel the financial pressures that come with it. After all, punk rock offers no 401k plan.

“If we can stay busy [playing shows], that’s all we can think about,” said Slawson. “It can get stressful. It didn’t used to be that way, though.” 

Although the Swingin’ Utters have been immensely popular over the years, the band – who call independent label Fat Wreck Chords home – is not bringing in Led Zeppelin-style dollars.  Playing in several bands, and collecting checks from the gigs that come along with that, helps to alleviate some of the worries that come with paying the bills.

Koski and his wife of 11 years have the added pressure of caring for their two young boys, ages nine and six. With the extra expense of having little ones, Koski supplements his income between tours working as a plumber; a reality the guitar player continues to grapple with.

“I never really felt we’ve succeeded; we haven’t or I wouldn’t be working,” said Koski.  “If it was a complete success story, I would be a musician for a living.”

Koski previously worked for years as a butcher, but switched to plumbing because the hours are more flexible with his touring schedule. “I don’t have much to fall back on,” said Koski. “It’s kind of an insecure reality.”

Family responsibilities and money issues aside, the Swingin’ Utters are continuing to do what they love.

A B-sides album of rare tracks is slated to drop on Fat Wreck Chords towards the end of 2008, as well as a new album in “a year or so,” said Koski. The Utters – who have always been known for their energetic live shows – are planning to start touring again as well, trekking across the country a few weeks at a time.

“I like playing shows,” said Slawson. “It all kind of boils down to that.”